New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday will hear the Ayodhya land dispute matter at 2:00 PM. Constituted by Chief Justice J S Khehar, a three-judge bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra, Ashok Bhushan and S A Nazeer will hear a batch of petitions challenging the Allahabad High Court verdict in the case.

On August 8, the Shia Central Waqf Board of Uttar Pradesh told the Supreme Court that a mosque could be built in a Muslim- dominated area at a reasonable distance from the disputed site in Ayodhya. The Board also told the apex court in an affidavit that the Babri Masjid site was its property and only it was entitled to hold negotiations for an amicable settlement of the dispute.

“Since, the Babri Masjid was a Shia Waqf, we are alone entitled to negotiate and arrive at peaceful settlement with other stakeholders,” Shia Waqf Board said in its statement.

After the Allahabad HC divided the land equally between ‘Ram Lalla’, the Nirmohi Akhara and the Sunni Wakf Board, the issue has been pending in the top court since 2010.

How the dispute unfolded?

The mosque was demolished by Hindu Karsevaks on December 6, 1992 in Ayodhya. The country witnessed massive riots, in which over 2000 people were killed.

The Hindus claim that it is the birthplace of Lord Rama where a mosque was built in 1528-29 CE (935 AH) by Mir Baqi. Since the mosque was built on orders of the Mughal emperor Babur, it was named Babri Masjid.

Before it was demolished in 1992, the Nirmohi Akhara had forcefully occupied the Babri Masjid in 1853 saying it was Ram Janmabhoomi (Birth place of Lord Rama).